5 tech solutions to help avoid procrastination

— -- You know how it is: As soon as you need to buckle down, everything but the task at hand suddenly clamors for your attention. That messy desk is so inhospitable; it must be organized for the sake of staying on track. Your laptop is all powered up… but one quick game won't hurt. And before you know it, one clean apartment and 12 levels of Angry Birds later, you've wasted half your day.

But for every Angry Birds, Xbox 360 or other form of distracting technology, there exists a solution to gently guide you back on track. Here's a look at at five ways tech can help you increase productivity.

ALFRED

Even if you only use the most basic function of Alfred (for Mac OS), you'll instantly realize how much time you'll save.

It's the type of application that's so helpful and intuitive that you only think about it when it's not running. At the most basic level, Alfred is an application launcher. You open it with a keyboard shortcut and begin typing the name of the application you're looking for. Once you hit return, the app launches.

But that's just the beginning. With a combination of free features and its Powerpack upgrade ($23), you have the entire world at your fingertips. As a writer, I find the ability to double check spelling or a definition on the fly invaluable. Meanwhile, I know software engineers who use it to graph integrals or calculate the size of the human genome, thanks to integration with the computational-knowledge engine Wolfram Alpha. Even something as basic as searching is easier — whether it be files on your desktop or queries on Google, Amazon or Wikipedia.

Available for Macs for free, with optional Powerpack ($23). For Windows users, consider Dash Command ($20) or Launchy (free).

MOPHIE

Of course, the realm of work extends beyond your desktop; that smartphone or tablet can be integral to finishing your project while on the go. And for moments when there's no power source in sight, you can whip out Mophie's juice pack powerstation.

The powerstation is a battery pack about the size of the iPhone. It can juice up any USB device with the right charging cable. The 4000-mAh battery capacity is enough to give your iPad about a 60 percent charge and can power the iPhone several times over. It works quick, too, with a charging output of up to 2.1 amps, about four times faster than most USB batteries.

Charging the powerstation, though, takes a bit longer. The device comes with only a USB charger, and it took about four hours to get the device from half to full charge. But this is a small complaint that a standard wall charger easily fixes.

The device works right out of the box, so travelers on the go can buy this at the airport and put the fully-charged device to use immediately.

Available for $79.95.

GMAIL LABS

It's a fact: When my computer is on, Gmail is open.

The product as it stands is great. But there are a couple tricks to make it even better. I'm talking about Gmail Labs, the playground for experimental features to alter the e-mail experience. To find, simply head into Gmail's settings and click on the Labs tab. Here are a few insanely helpful Labs features that will save you time and keep you productive.